Experiencing God through worship is one of the most rewarding experiences there is and to be an usher that leads people to Christ as we are brought by the Holy Spirit into God's Most Holy place can be a big responsibility. That's why choosing worship leaders can be as crucial as choosing a preacher.
Worship leading is not so much bridging the gap between God and man. No one can do that job except Jesus Christ. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 tells us, "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time."
The job of being a worship leader simply entails that we point people to Jesus during time of corporate praise and worship. And as simple as that sounds, worship leading is not easy. A worship leader is not simply a musician or singer and a worship leader is not simply a person in the limelight. Here are four traits that every worship leader must have to be effective in ushering people into God's presence.
Humility. The stage and limelight can be a tricky combination because it tests a person's character. A worship leader who is prideful will fail the test of humility and the limelight plus the Spirit will only expose their pride. Proverbs 15:33 says, "The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor."
Leadership. The name itself explains the mandate - worship leaders are called to be leaders. Worship leaders don't just sing. They also lead a set of musicians and singers through rehearsals, devotions, discipleship and sometimes even life. A worship leader is often empowered by God to be an effective counsellor and leader to his team on top of the anointing of leading people into worship.
Excellence. Worship leading is a ministry that heavily involves a lot of skill and talent in singing, musicality and sometimes even in song composition. To be a worship leader is to pursue a spirit of excellence doing all things for the glory of God and not the glory of man.
This can often be tricky because many worship leaders find themselves fall into the trap of pursuing musical excellence at the expense of heart and humility, wanting to sound good for the sake of looking good. A true worship leader however will want to sound good for God to be glorified and for people to be blessed.
Passion for Jesus. When we sing songs, we don't simply sing songs. We express our hearts to God in a language that includes the dynamics and power of music. So to lead worship is to exude with a burning passion for Jesus that translates into a hunger for the Holy Spirit. Worship leaders cannot be hungry for anything else because this would only be a sign of the heart being in the wrong place.
